She Doesn't Have To Ask Him, Or Even Demand Him Twice To Pull Her In And Press His Lips Against Hers.

She doesn't have to ask him, or even demand him twice to pull her in and press his lips against hers. Arms wrapped around her keeping her close. Kie means everything to him, he just hopes he's been good at showing her that every day.

"Babe - - - you don't have to do that." She holds back a laugh. Not at the fact that Rafe wants to be protective over her, it's just sweet. At least, she thinks it is. "I'll let you know if anyone needs their ass handed to them, BUT I think that I'd rather you kiss me, instead of fight them."

𝖨𝗍'𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗒, there is plenty that he is keeping out of sight when it comes to her. The darker side of him that he'd rather stay in the shadows in hopes to not dim her light. So far in all of this she's been a good thing - a good thing he doesn't want to lose. And yet here he is on the precipice of possibly losing her. The way she tells him she has to figure things out for herself. Maybe it is as simple as that and there are no meanings behind her words to indicate that this is over. Whatever it was he knew it kept his feet on the ground and kept his head from spinning. But now he finds that the ground is shaking beneath his very feet.

❝ How can you say you mean it, and yet ... You're just going to walk away ? ❞ if she was going to leave him, he wishes she would just say that instead of trying to feed him this ; whatever this is. ❝ If it's over just say it's over, Mary ... Don't... Don't give me false hope on something that isn't there. Don't treat me like that - don't treat me like everyone else. ❞

𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 ▬▬ not for him, not even for herself. She’s spent so long running, from the truth, from the shadows that haunt her, from the life she left behind. How could she ever be what Rafe needs when she can barely keep herself from falling apart ? Mary takes a deep breath, trying to steady the trembling in her hands. Her dark brown eyes meet his, and she can see the turmoil there, the plea for something▬▬anything▬▬to make sense of the mess they’re in. But how can she give him that when her own life is built on a foundation of lies ? The truth of why she came to the Outer Banks, why she’s alone, why she’s always looking over her shoulder, it all weighs on her now. She ran away, stole from her father just to afford a start, a fresh start that was supposed to be different, better. But even now, she knows she can’t stay in one place for too long, knows the cruel shadow of her past is always lurking, waiting to catch up with her. ❝ I meant eet, ❞ she whispers, her voice barely holding steady as she speaks. Tears sting her eyes, threatening to spill over, but she blinks them back, swallowing the lump in her throat. ❝ Eet’s got nothing to do with you, I promise you that. I just… I need time… to figure some things out… for myself . ❞

How unfair it is to ask that of him. She wanted him to let her in, but she can’t do the same▬▬it's too dangerous. She can't stay, not like this. And yet, the thought of leaving him, of walking away from the one person who’s ever made her feel seen, it tears at her. But she’s never been good at staying, never been good at letting someone in, truly in, because how can she when her own soul feels like it’s crumbling beneath the weight of her secrets ? She hates herself for it, for putting that look on his face, for making him doubt the moments they shared. But what else can she do ? How can she stay when she doesn’t even know how to save herself ?

kiara being #annoyed at rafe 

❝ All I said was some might call that hard of a bite kinky. But I forgot who I'm talking to. No one would touch you with a twenty-foot pole. ❞

"Stop. I don't want to know what you do with your hand."

@borntobebroken

❝ I feel like that could be a pun. ❞ he tells her while trying to hold back a grin as he pulls her close and he kisses her head. ❝ You wanna watch in the kitchen? ❞ he asks, grinning. ❝ I could put on a 'kiss the cook' apron or something and wear only that if it'll keep you entertained. ❞

"Okay." Nodding her head, Kie smiles at him. "Surprise me, I trust you." Lacing her fingers with his, she can't help the smile that turns into a grin. "A man that can cook, it's hot." Not that Rafe needed to cook for her to be the hottest thing she'd ever seen.

❝ And yet I'm pretty sure I still get more pussy than you.❞

"Rafe, you wear pastels, and play golf at a country club on the weekend. "

@borntobebroken